A Republican bill with 3 Republican cosponsors · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Illegal Immigration Cost Recovery Act aims to double civil penalties for several groups. It increases fines for employers that knowingly hire aliens who are not authorized to work in the United States. It also increases penalties for aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States without authorization. Additionally, the bill increases penalties for aliens subject to a final order of removal who fail or refuse to depart. Finally, the bill establishes an annual inflation adjustment for these penalty amounts beginning in 2027.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this make the government pay for what it commits to?
The bill increases federal revenue potential through higher civil penalties and inflation adjustments.
- Scored +4
Does this tighten control of the border?
The bill increases penalties for improper entry and failure to depart, intended to strengthen border control.
The opposite· 3 of 6
- Scored -7
Would immigrants be better off under this?
The bill increases financial penalties for illegal entry, failure to depart, and for employers hiring unauthorized workers.
- Scored -6
Would business owners be better off under this?
The bill imposes substantially higher fines on employers for hiring unauthorized aliens.
- Scored -5
Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this?
The bill increases civil penalties for improper entry and failure to depart, which impacts large segments of the Hispanic community.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased penalties for employers: Under Section 2, fines for employers who knowingly hire unauthorized aliens are increased to amounts such as $1,432 to $11,448, $11,448 to $28,616, or $17,172 to $57,238.
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Increased penalties for failure to depart: According to Section 3, the penalty for an alien who fails to depart is increased from $500 to $1,996.
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Increased penalties for improper entry: As stated in Section 4, the civil penalty for an alien entering or attempting to enter without authorization is increased from $50–$250 to $200–$1,000.
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Inflation adjustments: Sections 2, 3, and 4 establish that penalty amounts will be adjusted annually using the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers to account for inflation.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Financial burden on employers: Under Section 2, employers that knowingly hire aliens not authorized to work face significantly higher civil penalties.
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Financial burden on aliens subject to removal: Section 3 increases the penalty for aliens who fail or refuse to depart after a final order of removal.
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Financial burden on aliens entering without authorization: Section 4 increases the civil penalties for aliens who enter or attempt to enter the United States without authorization.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would immigrants be better off under this? — The bill increases financial penalties for illegal entry, failure to depart, and for employers hiring unauthorized workers. Would business owners be better off under this? — The bill imposes substantially higher fines on employers for hiring unauthorized aliens. Would Hispanic Americans be better off under this? — The bill increases civil penalties for improper entry and failure to depart, which impacts large segments of the Hispanic community. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill increases penalties targeting unauthorized individuals which can disproportionately affect low-income immigrant populations.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make the government pay for what it commits to? — The bill increases federal revenue potential through higher civil penalties and inflation adjustments. Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill increases financial liability for employers through significantly higher civil penalties for hiring unauthorized workers.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this tighten control of the border? — The bill increases penalties for improper entry and failure to depart, intended to strengthen border control. Does this make it easier for immigrants already here to become citizens? — The bill increases financial penalties against individuals who are not authorized to remain in the country.
- 6/15/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/11/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- Introduced in Senate
Ted BuddRepublican · North Carolina
Mike LeeRepublican · Utah
Tim SheehyRepublican · Montana